Buying Time: Giving Much with Nothing

While ritually perusing Facebook, I scrolled across a post shared by a friend via Astig FM’s Facebook page. In a classic viral Facebook-life-lesson format, the post depicted an interaction between a father and his son. The story began when the son inquired of his father’s hourly income; taken aback by his son’s intrusiveness, the father resisted the request, but did not withhold the desired information for long. The father revealed his $100 hourly wage; after which the son soberly asked for $50 from his father. Now appalled, the hardworking father directed his son to meditate on his childish, selfish petition. Nearly an hour later, the father’s fumes settled and he proceeded to apologize to his son for involving him in the stresses of the day (the roots underneath the father’s aggravation). He handed his son $50, knowing that his son never asked for much; post-haste, the son pilfered beneath his pillow and pulled out another $50 that he had collected. Slightly perplexed, his father curiously asked why his son wanted more money, since he already had some.

The son responded: “’Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do…’ ‘Daddy, I have $100 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.’”

The hardworking, overworking father felt defeated and responded with a mending hug.

This everyday story extends to anyone who is distracted by anything, and priority assessment is the foundation. The father gave himself up to a money-making-mindset. Providing for his family, a worthy cause and the father’s heart-motive, underwent nearly fatal arrhythmia when provision garnered more attention than the very family receiving provision.

In the business setting, an industry’s resources become fully realized once tangible and intangible resources are both accounted for. Tangible resources (such as property, equipment, inventory, the building itself, etc.) are numerable, on the books, and may be dispensed of in accordance with the limited supply. Intangible resources (such as experience, leadership skills, time, etc.) are innumerable, off the books, and may be dispensed of in accordance with the flexible supply. Both tangible and intangible resources together constitute the whole of an industry’s resources; likewise, both tangible and intangible resources together constitute the whole of an individual’s resources.

Even when we have nothing, we have time; in giving someone our time, we become a benefactor. As long as we have breath, we have time – making us the owner of a resource rich in quantity and living value.

Time is everyone’s benefactor; as beneficiaries, we should expect to use our intangible resource wisely.